NDORO ISSUE

FINALLY RESOLVED

THE CONTENTIOUS Tendai Ndoro matter, which proved a major embarrassment for football in South Africa, has finally been put to bed. Yesterday Ajax Cape Town and the Premier Soccer League came to an agreement which will see the two parties settle the issue out of court.

Last season, the ongoing saga around the eligibility of former Ajax striker Ndoro caused a huge administrative stir in local football. According to the PSL, Zimbabwean Ndoro had played for three clubs during the season, which is against Fifa rules, while Ajax believed there were extenuating circumstances to the case.

The various disciplinary bodies all had differing opinions, with some saying he could play and others ruling he was ineligible. As a result, it led to numerous arbitration hearings and court cases. In the end, Ajax decided to cut their losses and accepted their relegation to the lower tier National First Division.

Ajax, however, still had an appeal pending at the Johannesburg High Court and were awaiting a date on which it would be heard. Yesterday, though, the Cape side put out the following statement: “Following consultation between the parties, both parties agreed not to pursue the matter further for the benefit of football.

“Ajax Cape Town’s decision was influenced by the announcement by the Deputy Judge President to set the appeal date for 24 April, 2019. The club was further advised by their legal team that further appeals to the constitutional court and Fifa would lead to an extended court battle on a damages claim. If successful, it could take up to 3-5 years to reach conclusion.”

Ajax are currently in eighth position on the NFD standings and at the weekend, Muhsin Ertugral quit as the club’s head coach. Their main focus now is to try to win back promotion to the top-flight PSL.